Jaw-dropping images and footage have emerged online documenting the ritual-style torching of a wooden cathedral as part of the annual celebrations for Russia's Maslenitsa.

The event took place in Nikola-Lenivets Art Park, named after the Nikolai Polissk who built the 30-metre tall structure along with 20 builders over three months, for the sole purpose of setting it on fire.

As seen in the footage above – and via the spectacular imagery pouring in on Instagram – the fiery spectacle wouldn't look out of place in a Game of Thrones episode. The massive wicker Gothic-style structure was the centrepiece of the celebration and attracted a large crowd who watched the building go up in flames.

Maslenitsa is a traditional pagan festival that signifies the arrival of spring. It was reinvented by the Russian Orthodox Church as a final way to celebrate before the 40 days of Lent

Some public figures were not as impressed with the event, with some claiming it conveys an anti-Catholic message.

"I don’t understand why somebody would burn down a 30-meter Catholic church instead of a harmless effigy on a folk-Orthodox festival?” Russian TV personality Maksim Galkin said on his Instagram page.

But that didn't stop the locals from joining in on the festivities.

During the event, locals gather in the snow to dance, eat pancakes, and take in the epic sights of whatever burning structure lies before them.